Louisville play-by-play radio announcer Drew Deener cleared up the futures of several Cardinals basketball players Thursday in an interview with Rick Pitino, who told him Gorgui Dieng is headed to the NBA draft, and Russ Smith is 50/50 on that decision.

The latest on Smith contradicts what Smith’s father, Russ Smith Sr., has told reporters since the national championship game—his son is good as gone. But given that Smith’s draft stock was second round at best, perhaps that’s why Smith is thinking through his decision further.

"He's a very confused young man in terms of his decision right now. He didn't want his dad to say that about him coming out," Pitino told Deener on Louisville's Sports Radio 790. "He wanted time to think of it."

Meanwhile, Chane Behanan, one of the stars of the national championship game with 15 points and 12 rebounds, is returning to school, and Kevin Ware might be able to play next year despite the gruesome broken tibia he sustained in the Midwest Region final vs. Duke, Pitino said.

Seeing Dieng go to the NBA is no surprise. Pitino has been touting Dieng as an NBA prospect, and CBSSports.com’s latest mock draft has him as a late first-round pick.

There has been sentiment in some circles for Ware to think about skipping next season, given the severity of his injury. So his status remains worth tracking, especially when Sporting News columnist Mike DeCourcy sees the potential of Ware being an NBA-caliber talent.